Hybrid Director of Strategic Communications - Office of Innovation and Commercialization

The Office of Innovation and Commercialization at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Director of Strategic Communications.

About the Opportunity

West Virginia University seeks a Director of Strategic Communications to ensure that the message, story, and impact of the RETI Consortium are told clearly, consistently, and compellingly to the audiences that matter most. RETI is a National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine focused on advancing industrial grid resilience and energy efficiency across West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, uniting more than 60 partners and a roughly $175 million federally and privately funded portfolio.

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Director of Strategic Communications will identify the consortium's primary stakeholders, develop and execute communications strategies tailored to each, and work across RETI's four core verticals — technology, commercialization, workforce, and community engagement — to surface activities, amplify successes, and weave them into a cohesive narrative about RETI's impact. The Director will be the principal storyteller of the consortium, translating complex technical, economic, and community outcomes into clear, memorable messages for federal agencies, state policymakers, industry partners, capital providers, academic collaborators, community members, and the public.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays ( staff holiday calendar )
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year ( employee leave )
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information ? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Identification
  • Identify and map RETI's primary stakeholder audiences, including the National Science Foundation, federal and state agencies, congressional offices, industry partners, capital providers, academic collaborators, workforce organizations, community leaders, the press, and the public.
  • Develop a comprehensive strategic communications plan that defines messaging priorities, channels, cadence, and engagement tactics for each stakeholder group.
  • Establish and maintain a messaging architecture that articulates RETI's mission, value proposition, and impact in language tailored to each audience.
  • Continuously refine stakeholder strategies based on engagement data, feedback, and evolving consortium priorities.
• Storytelling and Cohesive Narrative Development
  • Serve as the principal storyteller for RETI, translating complex technical, commercial, workforce, and community work into clear and compelling narratives.
  • Build and maintain a cohesive impact story that integrates progress and outcomes from across all four core verticals — technology, commercialization, workforce, and community engagement — into a unified consortium narrative.
  • Identify and develop signature stories, case studies, and impact features that bring the consortium's work to life for diverse audiences.
  • Ensure that the consortium's public-facing voice is consistent, authentic, and aligned with the values of West Virginia University and consortium partners.
• Cross-Vertical Coordination
  • Partner closely with the Chief Technology Officer, Chief Commercialization Officer, Chief Workforce Officer, and community engagement leads to understand activities, milestones, and successes within each vertical.
  • Work proactively across the leadership team and partner organizations to surface…